This church is related to the life of Kateri Tekakwitha. She was born in 1656 at Ossernenon (now Auriesville, New York State). After she was baptised, she fled and joined St. Francis Xavier Mission on St. Lawrence River. She died in 1680 and was well known for her holiness. Pope John Paul II proclaimed her a Blessed in 1980, on the 300th anniversary of her death.

The tomb of Blessed Kateri is found in St. Francis Xavier Parish in the Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil. The shrine is found in St. Francis Xavier Church, with a silver bell-tower and steeple in the traditional Quebec style.